Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I'm A Patient Man, but A R I Z O N A ?

Take a look at the lack of weather occurring in downtown London Ontario as I write this, from live webcams I took a screen shot of. We have had tantalizing little flurries that didn't add up to anything, but as you can see, no snow worth mentioning.

I have been eagerly awaiting snow and winter riding for 2 MONTHS, as evidenced by this post. It is common for London Ontario get some real snow in November, but this year, nothing yet. For some mysterious reason some of my most regular readers are from the Southern United States, and I have been dying to deliver some sweet unspoiled snowy bike path video among other things. Instead, I get to watch this:

Now, I can handle being out-snowed by places in the Northeast and Midwest of the USA, but ARIZONA, complete with video of people on bicycles? GAAH! At least that dude looked pretty miserable. How am I supposed to play the Canuck Card this way? It is Maddening I Tell You, Maddening!

What is it Mother Nature, huh? Is it because I ENJOY tangling with you every winter? Are you punishing me? You are a selfish, insensitive little... besides, I thought you kind of enjoyed our crabby relationship, as I do. In any case, enough with the passive, my quarrelsome darling; bring on the aggressive. There is snow in the forecast. I DARE you, Mother Nature, to show me what you've got. I'm not afraid of you. Bring it on, ya little wimp.

Hoping I don't get struck by lightning and carried off into the upper atmosphere in a freakish blizzardicane of vengeance and fury, I remain Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - One of my many knowledgeable readers filled me in on the fact that Flagstaff AZ is way above sea level and gets snow normally. Oops! Mother Nature, please know that my challenge still stands despite my inattention to detail.

GW doubters like to point to snow, especially in unusual places, as evidence that the problem is imaginary. Here in NH we've had 2 phenomenally snowy winters with temperatures above average. Just a question of storm track. GW creates irregular weather, not just more heat.

When I moved to NH from MD I figured I would have winter bragging rights forever. I learned after I got here that we're at roughly the same latitude as the French Riviera. Since 1987 I've seen cold ones, snowy ones, cold snowy ones, warm ones, wet ones, warm snowy ones and frigid droughts. All this taught me to detach from my love of winter, because winter clearly didn't love me back. We might get together and have some wild times, but winter would do what it wanted. It might stand me up completely, show up late or leave early.

Anon - Good God, hipsters replacing removed bike lanes, and being all righteous about it. I haven't read bikesnobNYC today... I'm guessing he may comment on this video. I'm pleased that anything reminds anyone of me, but please know when it comes to bike lanes, I am apathetic at best; they are by no means the magic bullet for safety.

BigOak - you are, of course, correct. I intend to enjoy my "bring it on" stage while it lasts.